In South Africa, securing clean and reliable water supplies is a national priority. Yet many of the country’s most important water catchment areas—unlike iconic wildlife parks—don’t benefit from tourism or other market-based conservation funding. Instead, their value lies in the essential services they provide to communities, industries, and ecosystems downstream. These areas, known as Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs), are often poorly protected and managed.
To address this, it’s crucial to understand and communicate the value of the public benefits these areas provide—such as water purification, climate regulation, and soil protection. This project focuses on the Amathole SWSA as a case study to measure those benefits, raise awareness, and influence policies that can improve protection and management.
Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) is partnering with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to conduct an economic valuation of ecosystem services in the Amathole SWSA in South Africa. This work advances water security, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience in one of the country’s most important natural regions. By valuing the ecosystem services of the Amathole SWSA—for example water regulation, carbon storage and food provisions—CSF and TNC aim to help decision-makers and investors recognize the real, tangible value of nature.
The work is being delivered in two phases. After the first phase of reviewing existing research at a national level in 2024, Phase 2 is now underway to assess the economic value of ecosystem services in the Amathole region, a priority catchment for TNC South Africa. Findings will support the inclusion of these areas in South Africa’s Protected Area expansion plans, specifically the 30x30 implementation plan—an international commitment to protect 30% of the planet’s land and water by 2030. Lessons learned will also inform future evaluations and be shared with national decision-makers through the SWSA 30x30 forum.
Importantly, this project contributes to global conservation efforts by demonstrating how robust economic evidence can strengthen the case for nature-based solutions and guide strategic investment in ecological infrastructure. It advances the application of conservation economics in data-scarce, highly biodiverse contexts and offers a replicable model for other countries seeking to prioritize natural capital in national development and climate planning. By equipping policymakers with clear, quantified evidence of nature’s value, CSF and TNC are helping to reframe conservation as not just a moral or ecological imperative—but a sound development strategy that benefits people and nature.
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Photo: Hogsback, Amathole Mountains, Charmaine A Harvey, Shutterstock